Switch



Oct. 24, 1944. E, w. RICKMEYER SWITCH Filed July 30, 1942 Passed oet 24. 1944 SWITCH Ernst Waiter Rickmeyer, Elmhurst, ill., assigner to Jefferson Electric Company, Bellwood, lll.l

a corporation of Illinois Application July 30, 1942, Serial N0. 452,843

(Cl. 20o-5) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in switches, particularly to switches adapted for use in connection with fluorescent lamps.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved switch comprising an operable member which controls not only the line circuit from the transformer or ballast to the fluorescent lamp, but also controls the circuit to the lamp filaments for causing the same to be heated momentarily each time the switch is operated to the "on position.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a switch which when operated to off position, breaks the circuit quickly for avoiding or reducing arcing and the burning of contacts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel switch structure, the operative parts of which are of simple structure and can be assembled readily within casing members and all retained in operative positions by casing fastening means.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a switch that can be assembled from parts constituting a single lighting circuit control mechanism and one or more duplicate nlament control mechanisms whereby a switch can be provided which will control the lighting circuits as well as the filament circuits of one or more lamps.

Other objects of the invention relate to various features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a switch embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 isa vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1:

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a broken rear elevational view of a cam that controls the main circuit of a lamp or lamps;

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of a cam that controls the lighting circuit of a lamp;

Fig. 'l is a perspective view of a cam that controls the filament circuit of a lamp.

The present invention is characterized by the provision of a single manually operable member which, when operated to the on position effects closure momentarily of the filament circuits of a fluorescent lamp, closes the main lighting circuit of the lamp, and then opens the filament circuits but leaves the main circuit closed until the subsequent operation of said member to the "off" position.

In Figure 1 of the 'drawing the casing of the switch is shown as comprising two main sections III and I I, the latter being employed in instances where the switch is to be provided with means for controlling the filament circuit of a second lamp. 'I'he casing sections preferably are of moulded insulating material.

In addition to the sections I0 and il, there is shown in Flg. 1 a rear plate I2, preferably of insulating material and a closure plate i3 which may be of metal. A front insulating plate Il is shown over which is a closure plate IB of metal. A pair of rivets i6 and I1 retain the casing sections and plates in assembled relation. Due to the novel structure hereinafter described, no additional rivets or like fastening members are required in retaining the operative parts of the switch in properly assembled relation.

The casing section i0 provides chambers I. and I9 for cams 20 and 2i respectively which may also be `of moulded insulating material. 'Ihe section Il provides a chamber 22 for a third cam 24 which is similar to cam 2|. Where a single lamp is to be controlled by the switch, the casing section Il and the cam 24 are not used and the plates Il and l5 are attached by shorter rivets to the forward face of the section I0. In this instance a shorter operating shaft is provided as will be appreciated.

An operating shaft 25 is shown which in the present illustrative embodiment of the invention is provided with a cylindrical forward end ll, a rear cylindrical end portion 25 and a central portion 26C which is square or rectangular in cross-section. The rear cylindrical end of the shaft is Journalled in the rear plate I2, while the forward end, at the rear of the threadsis mounted in an exterlorly threaded sleeve 2i which is rigidly secured to the front plate l5. On the threaded sleeve is shown a pair of mounting nuts 21 whereby the switch can be attached to a lamp fixture 28 or any suitable support.

The shape of the cam 20, which, as illustrated, controls the main lighting circuit of a lamp or lamps, is shown in Fig. 6 and has a dwell 2l which terminates in a sharp drop or break 2lib to provide for the quick break of the lamp circuit or circuits to reduce arcing. The forward face of the cam 20, as shown in Fig. 6, is provided with a pair of pawl engageable shoulders or ratchet teeth 20 moulded therein which cooperate with a pair of resilient pawls 20 which are shown in Fig. 3 as integral with a spring metal disc 3l having a square central recess therein for reception on the square portion 25 of the shaft 25 for clockwise and counter-clockwise movement with the latter. The pawl disc I is shown, in Fig. 3, as provided with a pair of forwardly directed lugs 30* which extended into recesses 2|b oi' the adjacent face of the cam 2| whereby the disc 30 is further constrained to move with the cam 2| and the shaft 26.

To the rear of the cam 20 and between the same and the plate l2 is a pawl disc 3| having two resilient locking pawls or detents 3|* formed integrally with the disc. The disc 3| is shown as provided with a pair of forwardly projecting lugs 3|b which project into recesses 2||d in the adjacent or rear face of the cam 20 whereby the disc and the locking pawls 3|* are constrained to rotate with the cam. Formed in the stationary plate |2 are two pawl receiving recesses terminating in stops or teeth l2* arranged to engage the ends of the pawls 3|l and prevent counter-clockwise movement of the disc 3| and cam 20 as viewed from the right in Fig. 1. The ends of the pawls 3 l* and the pawl stops |2l are arranged, in the structure illustrated, 180 of arc apart, as are also the operating ends of the pawls 23 and the cooperating shoulders 20 in the forward face of the cam 20. Hence as the shaft 25 is turned to the right or clockwise through an arc of 180 from a normal position, the cams 2| and 24 are moved through' a similar arc by reason of their being mounted on the square section of the shaft, and the pawl disc 3U will also be moved through a like arc since it is mounted on the square portion of the shaft and also operatively attached to the cam 2| by the lugs 30H. Such rotation of the pawls 29 of the disc 30` causes the cam 20 to be rotated through an arc of 180 also, the spring pawls 3l'l permitting such movement but preventing movement of the cam 20 in the opposite direction by reason of their engagement with the pawl stops |2.

A spring 32 is provided to return the shaft 25, and cams 2| and 2`| to original position when the shaft is released from manual engagement, the spring being shown with the rear end thereof anchored to the cam 24 and the forward end to the plate |4. The cams 2| and 24, being similar in shape are provided with stop lugs 2|'l and 24* respectively which engage shoulders 33 and 34 in the respective chambers I9 and 22 for arresting movement of the cams and of the shaft upon completion of the movement thereof in either direction.

By reason of the mechanism described above, it will be seen that rotation of the shaft through an arc of 180 rotates the cams 2| and 24 as well as cam 20 through a similar arc and that upon release of the shaft the cams 2| and 24 are returned to their original positions with the spring operated shaft, while, due to the holding action of the locking pawls 3|*, the cam 20 remains stationary. Upon the next succeeding operation of the shaft, however, the cam 20 will be rotated through another arc of 180 and will remain in that position until the succeeding operation of the shaft.

For controlling the main lamp circuit by means of the cam 20 suitable contacts are provided such as contacts 35 and 36 which are carried by resilient conductor arms 3l and 38 respectively. The lower ends of the arms are shaped to fit in recesses formed in the rear face of the casing section I0 as shown in Fis. 2 and require no additional fastening means other than that aorded by the walls of the recess and the plate I2. Conductors Il and 40 are electrically connected to the bases of the arms as by solder, as shown in said figure.

In Fig. 2 the cam 2|! is shown in the position wherein the contacts I5 and Il are separated and the main lamp circuit open. When the cam 2l is rotated counter-clockwise (as viewed in Fig. 2) through an arc of from the position shown in Fig. 2 (or clockwise if the observer is facing the right-hand side of the device shown in Fig. 1), the dwell 2|) of the cam will have moved contact I! into engagement with contact 24 and will retain the main lighting circuit closed through conductors 3l and 40. Upon movement of the cam through a further arc of 180, the break 20 of the cam surface 20* will permit the resilient arm 3l to spring quickly to the left, ss viewed in Fig. 2, thus quickly opening the circuit, and the cam will come to rest again in the position shown in Fig. 2. Hence operation of the shaft 25 through successive arcs of 180 each, causes the cam 20 to make and'quickly break the main lighting circuit of the lamp or lamps.

Inasmuch as the ignition of fluorescent lamps requires momentary heating of the filaments in the end regions thereof, contacts controlled by the cams 2| are provided. Where two lamps are to be controlled by the switch, the casing section and the third cam 24 are embodied in the switch structure, and contacts controlled by the cam 24 are provided also.

The contacts controlled by the cam 2| are simllar to the contacts above described and are shown in side elevation in Fig. 3 by dotted lines. These contacts 4| and 42 are carried by resilient conducting arms 43 and 4'4 respectively which are shaped at their bases for reception in recesses formed in the forward face of the casing section Ill as shown in Fig. 3. Conductors 45 and 4l of the lamp filament circuit are electrically connected to the bases of the respective arms. When the cam 2| is rotated clockwise, as viewed from the right in Fig. 1, or counter-clockwise in Fig. 3. a dwell 2|c of the cam forces the contact 4| into circuit closing relation with the contact 42 and thereby closes the circuit through the filaments of the lamp. The contacts are held in the circuit closing relation only momentarily or during or slightly less than the period required for the cam 2| to be moved through the balance of the 180 arcuate movement and to be returned by the spring 32 to the initial or normal position shown in Fig. 3. During this momentary closure of the filament circuit, the filaments are heated sumciently to enable the lamp to ignite, the main lighting circuit of the lamp having been closed substantially simultaneously by the cam 2l as above described.

The contacts for momentarily closing the filament circuit of a second lamp are mounted in the forward face of casing section in the same manner as contacts 4| and 42 and their resilient arms are mounted in recesses formed in the forward face of section i0. Such filament contacts for controlling a, second lamp are designated by numerals 4l and 43 in Fig. 4 and are controlled by the cam 24 (which is identical in form with cam 2|) in the same manner as the cam 2| controls the contacts 4| and 42. Since cams 2| and 24 are operated simultaneously by the shaft 2l, the filament circuits of two such lamps will be concurrently closed and opened. The conductors '49 and 50 of Fig. 3 are part of the filament circuits of a second lamp.

For operating the shaft 25 for opening or closing the circuits of the lamp or lamps or other devices with which the switch is employed, any suitable means may be employed, and for the purpose of simplicity a manually operable knob is shown on the forward end of the shaft.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the switch, when employed for controlling a iiuorescent lamp or lamps, can be operated merely by turning the shaft through a given are (in the form shown, an arc of 180) from the normal or off position until the movement of the shaft is arrested by the engagement of the stop 2|a with the lower shoulder 34. During such movement of the shaft the main lighting circuit of the lamp or lamps will be closed by the described operation of contact 35 into engagement with the contact 35 by the cam 20, and the lament heating circuits of the lamp or lamps will be closed by the cams 2| and 24. Upon release of the knob 5|, the spring 32 moves the shaft 25 in the opposite direction until the stop member 2 |a engages the stop 33 and also moves the cams 2| and 24 to the normal position shown in Fig. 3 for opening the filament circuits of the lamp or lamps. The main lighting circuit for the lamp or lamps will remain closed, however, since the cam will have been retained in the advanced position (180 counter-clockwise from that shown in Fig. 2) by the holding pawls 3|* and the contacts and 36 will remain in circuit closing reconfine the cams 20, 2| and 24, and the pawl discs 30 and 3| in their positions on the shaft 25 with the disc 30 operatively locked to the cam 2| by lugs 3l!` and disc 3| operatively locked to cam 20. Assembly of the switch mechanism, including the contact arms, is therefore simple.

While I have shown and described a switch which is illustrative of the present invention, changes in the structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

l. A switch for controlling a plurality of circuits comprising a member manually operable through a given range, means for returning said member to original position when released upon completion of such manual operation, a pair of normally separated contacts adapted to be connected in one circuit, a cam movable with said operable member in both directions for effecting the closing of said contacts during the manual operation of the member and effecting the separation of the contacts during the return movement thereof for momentarily closing and then opening said circuit, 'a second pair of normally separated cam controlled contacts adapted to be connected in a second circuit, a control cam for said contacts, and means operable by said operable member for effecting the operation of said second cam in one direction with a step-by-step movement therewith in both directions for effect ing the momentary closing of one pair of said contacts during each manual operation and the return of said shaft to original position, a second cam rotatably mounted with respect to said shaft for controlling the opening and closing of said second pair of contacts, and means comprising pawl mechanism operable by said shaft for effecting the actuation of. said second cam in'4 one direction only for effecting the closing and opening of said second contacts alternately upon successive operations of said shaft in the same direction. 1.,;

3. A switch comprising a shaft manually-Opf erable in one direction through a given arc, au'- tomatic means for returning the shaft to origi`` nal position upon completion of the manual operation, a cam secured to said shaft for operation thereby in both directions, a normally open circuit control means movable to closed position by said cam upon manual operation thereof, said cam having a dwell for retaining said circuit con' trol means in closed position momentarily during portions of the manual and automatic operations of the shaft, a second normally open circuit control means, a cam for controlling. the

closing and opening movements thereof, and means comprising pawl and ratchet mechanisni'-` operable from said shaft for operating said sec# ond cam in one direction only for effecting vthe alternate closing and opening of said second con-V trol means upon successive manual operations of said shaft. y

4. A switch comprising a casing, a shaft rotatably journalled therein, a stop means for limiting the movement of the shaft to an arc of 18g", means for manually operating the shaft through said arc in one direction from a normal position,v

means for automatically moving the shaft in the' opposite direction to said position, a cam secured to the shaft for movement therewith in bothdil for closing said second circuit controlling means',

and means for so operating said rotatable 'cam comprising pawl means operable by said shaft. ERNST WALTER RICKMEYER. 

